System for streaming databases serving real-time applications used through streaming interactive video

Abstract

An apparatus includes one or more servers of a hosting service center operable to execute video game for one or more users remotely located from the hosting service center. The execution of the video game on the one or more servers produces uncompressed video of 3D animation. The one or more servers are operable to integrate live video with the video game such that the live video appears within the uncompressed video of 3D animation. The live video is received at a hosting service center from one or more client devices correspondingly associated with the one or more users. The uncompressed video 3D animation is generated, at least partially, using data streamed from a high-speed storage unit of the hosting service center coupled to the one or more servers. The high-speed storage unit is configured to load geometry for efficient loading and rendering of objects of the 3D animations. A compression unit compresses the uncompressed video 3D animation integrated with the live video, and compressed streaming interactive video being produced therefrom. An outbound routing network device coupled to the compression unit that transmits the compressed streaming interactive video over a packetized network to the one or more users.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus, comprising:
 one or more servers of a hosting service center operable to execute a video game for one or more users remotely located from the hosting service center; 
 the execution of the video game on the one or more servers producing uncompressed video of 3D animation, the one or more servers being further operable to integrate live video with the video game; 
 the live video being received at the hosting service center from one or more client devices correspondingly associated with the one or more users, the receiving of the live video being via an inbound routing network of the hosting service center for direct transfer to the one or more servers; 
 the uncompressed video of 3D animation is generated, at least partially, using data from a storage unit of the hosting service center coupled to the one or more servers via the inbound routing network, the storage unit is configured to load geometry for efficient loading and rendering of objects of the 3D animations; 
 a compression unit that compresses the uncompressed video of 3D animation integrated with the live video, compressed streaming interactive video being produced therefrom; and 
 outbound routing network devices coupled to the compression unit that transmits the compressed streaming interactive video over a packetized network to the one or more users. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the uncompressed video of 3D animation is produced in substantial real-time in response to a user control input. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data streamed from the storage unit is determined, at least in part, by interactive user input coupled to the one or more servers. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data streamed from the storage unit comprises a 3D animation of a human face that is rendered as a textured surface. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein user interaction input is provided to the one or more servers through the inbound routing network. 
     
     
       6. A computer-implemented method for streaming interactive video comprising:
 executing a video game on one or more servers of a hosting service center to produce uncompressed video of 3D animation, the uncompressed video of 3D animation is produced, at least partially, using data from a storage unit coupled to the one or more servers of the hosting service center, the storage unit is configured to load geometry for rendering objects of said 3D animation; 
 compressing, by a compression unit of the hosting service center, the uncompressed video of 3D animation, thereby producing compressed streaming interactive video; 
 transmitting the compressed streaming interactive video over a packetized network to a plurality of client devices associated with a corresponding plurality of users, the users being geographically remote to the hosting service center, a perspective view of the 3D animation being generated for at least one of said plurality of users that is an active user of the video game, and 
 changing, by the one or more servers, responsive to a spectator user control input received from a client device of the spectator user, the perspective view to a new perspective view that is generated by the one or more servers for the spectator user, the new perspective view being of the video game that is interactively controllable by the spectator user via the control input and is different than the perspective view being controlled by the active user, the control input being communicated back to the hosting service center via an inbound routing that outputs the control input to the one or more servers of the hosting service center, and said one or more servers controlling actions to compress and stream video frames of said video game to the spectator user for said new perspective view. 
 
     
     
       7. The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , further comprising streaming audio received from the client devices. 
     
     
       8. The computer-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein the audio is used for implementing a collaborative call among at least two of the users. 
     
     
       9. The computer-implemented method of  claim 8 , wherein the audio is used for implementing a collaborative call among at least one of the users and the spectator user, the collaborative call being processed during active use of the video game. 
     
     
       10. The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the perspective view is transmitted to one or more of said client devices for display thereon, the perspective view being updated over time by each of said client devices for said users that are active players of the video game or r, and said new perspective view is updated over time by said spectator user. 
     
     
       11. The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein one or more additional perspective views are transmitted to one or more of said client devices for display thereon.